BMW E36 Forum

Hey guys, my first post =)

my names Alex from cannock in the uk and at the moment i'm not driving an E36 but give it 6 months and hopefully that will will change lol.

now i've looked at some buyers guides and looked at what i need to look out for, but is there anything i really need to look out for that may not be too well known?

also, what are the real world running costs like as i'm only a 21 year old student (i'm looking at a 318 btw)

and finally, whats the best too own and drive, i'm looking at a coupe or a compact, everyone seems to be slagging off the compact, but i relly like them and wondered if they really deserve there rep.

cheers for reading, Alex.

Hi Alex, I would advise a coupe, 318iS if you cn get one. It's the 16v, rather than the 8v 318i. Just my opinion, go for what you want, although parts for a coupe are easier to get than compact if that makes any odds to you.

Running costs should be ok, look after it well and it'll look after you. Driven sensibly, fuel costs are on a par with anything else. Parts are getting quite cheap now as the cars get older, and there's a big scene too.

Look out for rust around the back arches, window seals, sh*t Halfords mods and all of the usual stuff with any other 10 - 20 yr old car.

Hope this helps.

I think that white has given you a detailed idea of the car.So what are your plans now.do share with us.

[quote="White325"]Hi Alex, I would advise a coupe, 318iS if you cn get one. It's the 16v, rather than the 8v 318i. Just my opinion, go for what you want, although parts for a coupe are easier to get than compact if that makes any odds to you.

Running costs should be ok, look after it well and it'll look after you. Driven sensibly, fuel costs are on a par with anything else. Parts are getting quite cheap now as the cars get older, and there's a big scene too.

Look out for rust around the back arches, window seals, sh*t Halfords mods and all of the usual stuff with any other 10 - 20 yr old car.

Hope this helps.